Twitter reactions: House of Representatives sign to impeach Corona

Chief Justice Renato Corona betrayed public trust, violated the Constitution and is guilty of graft and corruption, allies of President Aquino wrote today in their impeachment complaint they filed against Corona.  You can the summary of the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona here. Read the full impeachment complaint here.

The impeachment looks like a done deal. A total of 178 legislators signed the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II says that it is a matter of formality. “Formality na lang ang kailangan before we can say he is impeached. Pero ang totoo nyan, it’s all over but the shouting.”

Photo via Joseph Morong

“House Speaker Belmonte said the move has the full support of President Benigno Aquino III, but stressed that he did not give a marching order for the congressmen to go for it. The complaint will be transmitted to the Senate Monday night, although physical transmission could Tuesday or Wednesday. Risa Hontiveros, Leah Navarro and Juan Carlo Tejano, all from the Bantay Gloria Network, witnessed the signing of the complaint.”

Statement from Minority Leader Rep. Edcel C. Lagman:

“The impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona is the mother of all blackmails.

“Many of the administration allies in the House of Representatives were blackmailed into signing the impeachment complaint by threatening those who would refuse to sign with the deprivation of their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and other funding releases for their respective districts.

“The Supreme Court justices are being blackmailed not to decide pending cases against the Aquino Administration, otherwise the wrath of impeachment will be on them.

“We hope the Senators who will act as impeachment judges will be strong and judicious not to succumb to similar blackmails.

“The derogation of our democratic institutions is almost complete with the emasculation of the House of Representatives, the violation of civil liberties, the impairment of the rule of law, and now the destruction of the Supreme Court and the judiciary.”

List of solons who signed the impeachment complaint against CJ Corona:

Reps. Niel Tupas Jr. (Iloilo); Reynaldo Umali (Mindoro Oriental); Joseph Emilio Abaya (Cavite); Arlene Bag-ao (Akbayan); Marcelino Teodoro (Marikina City); Winston Castelo (Quezon City); Ma. Evita Arago (Laguna); Roilo Golez (Paranaque City); Jay Lacson Noel (Navotas; Aurora Cerilles ( Zamboanga del Sur); Emi Calixto Rubiano (Pasay City); Walden Bello (Akbayan); Jim Hataman SAliman (Basilan); Nancy Catamco (North Cotabato); Scott Davies Lanete (Masbate); Rodolfo Valencia (Mindoro Oriental); Florencio Noel (An Waray); Llandro Mark Mendoza (Batangas); Rex Gatchalian (Valenzuela City); Aurelio Gonzales (Pampanga); Jeffrey Ferrer (Negros Occidental); Daisy Avance Fuentes (South Cotabato); Isidro Rodriguez Jr. (Rizal); Victor Yu Jr. (Zamboanga del Sur); Zenaida Angping (Manila); Rogelio Espina (Biliran); Deogracias Ramos Jr. (Sorsogon); Julieta Cortuna (A Teacher); Florencio Garay (Surigao del Sur) Ma. Carmen Zamora-Apsay (Compostela Valley); Roger Mercado (Southern Leyte); Herminira Roman (Bataan); Janette Garin (Iloilo); Neptali Gonzales II (Mandaluyong City); Georgina De Venecia (Pangasinan); Enrique M. Cojuangco (Tarlac); Bernadette Herrera-Dy (Bagong Henerasyon); Tupay Loong (Sulu); Ma. Jocelyn Bernos (Abra); Nur-Ana Sahidulla (Sulu); Pangalian Balindong (Lanao del Sur); Agapito Guanlao (Butil); Mylene Garcia Albano (Davao City); Rachel Arenas (Pangasinan); Kimi S. Cojuangco (Pangasinan); Ana Cristina Siquian-Go (Isabela); Susan Yap (Tarlac); Antonio Alvarez (Palawan); Acmad Tomawis (ALIF); Arnulfo Go (Sultan Kudarat); Eulogio Magsaysay (AVE); Jesus Sacdalan (North Cotabato); Oscar Malapitan (Caloocan City); Raden Sakaluran (Sultan Kudarat); Mercedes Alvarez (Negros Occidental); Alfredo Benitez (Negros Occidental); Abigail Faye Ferriol (Kalinga); Jerry Trenas (Iloilo City); Mel Senen Sarmiento (Western Samar); Josefina Joson (Nueva Ecija); Arnulfo Fuentebella (Camarines Sur); Jeci Lapus (Tarlac); Edwin Olivarez (Paranaque City); Lucy Torres Gomez (Leyte); Carlo Lopez (Manila); Joselito Mendoza (Bulacan); Arnel Cerafica (Pateros-Taguig); Ma. Isabelle Climaco (Zamboanga City); Arturo Robes (San Jose del Monte City); Rene Relampagos (Bohol); Tomas Apacible (Batangas); Florencio Miraflores (Aklan); Teodorico Haresco (Kasangga); Jesus Paras (Bukidnon); Manuel Agyao (Kalinga); Romeo Acop (Antipolo City); Edgar San Luis (Laguna); Ireneo Maliksi (Cavite); Roy Loyola (Cavite); Angelo Palmones (Agham); Mariano Piamonte (A Teacher); Paolo Javier (Antique); Loreto Leo Ocampos (Misamis Occidental); Isidro Lico (Ating Koop); Jesus Celeste (Pangasinan); Jose Ping-ay (Coop Natcco); Ryan Luis Singson (Ilocos Sur); Ponciano Payuyo (Apec); Vicente Belmonte (Iligan City); Eleanor Bulut-Begtang (Apayao); Ronald Cosalan (Benguet); Nelson Collantes (Batangas); Miro Quimbo (Marikina City); Bernardo Vergara (Baguio City); Fernando Gonzales (Albay); Antonio Lagdameo (Davao del Norte); Godofredo Arquiza (Senior Citizen); Antonio Ferrer (Cavite); Baby Aline Alfonso (Cagayan); Gabriel Quisumbing (Cebu); Benjamin ASilo (Manila); George Arnaiz (Negros Oriental); Randolf Ting (Cagayan); Henry Pryde Teves (Negros Oriental); Raul Daza (Northern Samar); Joseph Violago (Nueva Ecija); Linabelle Ruth Villarica (Bulacan); Justin Chipeco (Laguna); Rodel Batocabe (Ako Bicol); Aflredo Garbin Jr. (Ako Bicol); Jocelyn Limkaichong (Negros Oriental); Eleandro Jesus Madrona (Romblon); Cesar Sarmiento (Catanduanes); David Kho (Senior Citizens); Francisco Emmanuel R. Ortega III (Abono); Neil Montejo (An Waray); Robert Estrella (Abono); Albert Garcia (Bataan); Giorgidi Aggabao (Isabela); Daryl Grace Abayon (AT); Roberto V. Puno (Antipolo City); Elpidio Barzaga Jr. (Cavite); Eufranio Eriguel (La Union); Mariano Michael Velarde (Buhay); Irwin Tieng (Buhay); Mariano Piamonte Jr. (A Teacher); Pedro Pancho (Bulacan); Maria Valentina Plaza (Agusan del Sur); Andres Salvacion (Leyte); Yevgeny Emano (Misamis Oriental); Nelson Dayanghirang (Davao Oriental); Raymond Mendoza (TUCP); Ferjenel Biron (Iloilo); Mark Enverga (Quezon); Salvador Cabaluna III (1-Care); Homer Mercado (1-Utak); Jose F. Zubiri III (Bukidnon); Patricio Antonio (Agbiag); Dakila Cua (Quirino); Lord Allan Jay Velasco (Marinduque); Pedro Acharon Jr. (South Cotabato-Gen. Santos City); Ben Evardone (Eastern Samar); Henedina R. Abad (Batanes); Emmi De Jesus (Gabriela); Raymond Palatino (Kabataan); Antonio l. Tinio (ACT); Nicanor Briones (AGAP); Neri Javier Colmenares (Bayan Muna); Teddy Casino (Bayan Muna); Juan Edgardo Angara (Aurora); Mary Mitzi Cajayon (Caloocan City); Carol Jayne Lopez (YACAP); Jorge Banal III (Quezon City); Irvin Alcala (Quezon); Benjo Benaldo (Cagayan de Oro City);Jonathan Yambao (Zamboanga Sigubay); Lorenzo Tanada III (Quezon); Peter Unabia (Misamis Oriental); Cresente Paez (Coop-Natcco); Leopoldo Bataoil (Pangasinan); Amado Bagatsing (Manila); Julio Ledesma IV (Negros Occidental); Bai Sandra Sema (Maguindanao-Cotabato City); Rommel Amatong (Compostela Valley); Sharon Garin (Aambis-Owa) Vincent Crisologo (Quezon City); Czarina Umali (Nueva Ecija); Napoleon Dy (Isabela); Michael Rivera (1-CARE); Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (Quezon City); JC Rahman Nava (Guimaras); Joseph Victor Ejercito (San Juan); Nur G. Jaafar (Tawi-tawi); Marlin Primicias-Agabas (Pangasinan); Rachel del Mar (Cebu City); Jack Enrile (Cagayan); Anthony Golez (Bacolod City); Rafael Mariano (Anakpawis); Renato J. Unico Jr. (Camarines Norte); Trisha Bonoan (Manila); Franklin Bautista (Davao del Sur); Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu); Red Durano (Cebu); Cinchona Gonzales (CiBAC); and Sherwin Tugna (CIBAC)

Twitter Reactions

Meanwhile in Twitter, @cassieyamada “did not expect developments on #Corona ‘s possible impeachment to happen this fast! I didn’t know Congress could be so quick. Hello #RHbill” . @rom thinks “now if only that is about RH Bill – it would have made more sense.” @shagamy is just as surprised, “Natulog lang ako sandali tapos impeached na si Corona…” The progressive party-lists hope “.. this impeachment will result not in an Aquino court but in something with integrity.”

@the_nutbox concurs that “Impeach Corona is definitely better than Occupy Supreme Court. It’s a legitimate constitutional exercise, not mob rule.” @tonyocruz noted that “.. pro-Arroyo turned pro-Aquino turncoats are leading this oust-Corona move in Congress. Dapat sila bweltahan din, di ba?” but @limbertqc is quick to add that “@PresidentNoy Reps have to work fast bcoz PDAF being withheld.”

Will the impeachment prosper in the Senate?

@renaguila thinks ” Corona won’t be impeached. He has at least four supporters in the Senate and they could easily get a blocking minority of nine.”

@limbertqc looks at it this way: “Scenario: CJ tried in Senate. Trial protracted. Economy stalled. Const crisis. Deadlock in governance. SC still anti-Pnoy. Military restive.” @mr_scheez thinks that there are only one of the complaints have solid ground, “sa limang grounds to impeach Corona, isa lang ang solid – non-disclosure of assets. yung iba puro may butas.”